Hornets vs. Pistons Brawl: Isaiah Stewart, Miles Bridges, Jalen Duren Ejected After Fight
Isaiah Stewart wasn't even playing when still jumped into the action.
Hot tempers took over in the third quarter of Monday’s Hornets-Pistons clash … so if you had a "Monday Night Malice" parlay featuring Isaiah Stewart and Miles Bridges, go ahead and cash that ticket.
The scene broke out with 7:09 left in the frame — Detroit held a 70-62 lead when Jalen Duren made a hard drive to the rim.
Charlotte’s Moussa Diabaté met him with a foul of the "Draymond Green" kind.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 09: Miles Bridges #0 of the Charlotte Hornets fights Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons during the second half of a basketball game at Spectrum Center on February 09, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
In today’s NBA, you'll usually see a few words exchanged and a walk to the stripe.
But with some of the league's most volatile players on both sides, mayhem was bound to be unleashed.
Within seconds, the usual suspects were front and center.
Duren and Diabaté were the initial combatants, but Isaiah "Beef Stew" Stewart and Miles Bridges quickly jumped into the action.
Bridges, who has a testy past and a history of polarizing headlines, pursued Duren and threw a punch.
Duren answered with a swing of his own. Then came Stewart.
Stewart was not even in the game — sitting on the bench with ice packs on his legs — when he charged off the seats like a bat out of hell.
The Motor City big man has a well-earned reputation as the league’s premier powder keg. Fans remember his 2021 meltdown, when he chased LeBron James around the court with a bloody face.
He immediately targeted Bridges, throwing several punches as the Spectrum Center crowd watched the contest turn into an unsanctioned heavyweight brawl. Coaches and security flooded the floor to restore order.
When the dust settled, officials cleared the deck. Four players were sent to the showers early.
Duren and Stewart were ejected for Detroit, while Diabaté and Bridges were shown the door for Charlotte.
The league office will spend Tuesday morning handing down suspensions, especially for Stewart’s decision to leave the bench.
Monday showed that for all the talk of a softer league, the East still plays with teeth.
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